A 2016 statistic suggests that WordPress powers 27% of the entire internet! However, it is now far from a simple blogging platform – instead, it’s a diverse powerhouse ready to accomplish almost anything you ask of it. While this is great for many users, the options may overwhelm those who simply want to write a blog!

On the other hand, Blogger is starting to show its age.

The once top-of-the-line system is now rarely updated and has fallen behind many of its competitors in design and customization. This is frustrating for users who struggle to keep up h the features available to bloggers on other platforms.

No matter your reason, the switch to a new platform can feel overwhelming. Leaving behind either of these two well-known names is a step of faith and requires a significant amount of research.

If you are considering a change (or are starting your first blog!), be sure to consider these five fantastic alternatives to WordPress and Blogger.

Making an Informed Decision

When mulling over your options, it’s a good idea to consider some specific components of a blog hosting site.

What kind of design tools do they offer? Some platforms have hundreds of free templates, others require significant coding experience. Be sure to pick a platform that is at the right level of complexity (and quality!) for your needs.

Which hosting options are available? Some platforms will offer free web hosting as part of their package. While this is convenient and cheap, it also means that they retain some rights to your site and technically have the option of deleting it completely at any time. In addition, there may be significant limits on your bandwidth and speed. Other platforms will require you to self-host your siteThe Best Web Hosting ServicesThe Best Web Hosting ServicesLooking for the best web hosting service for your needs? Whether it's for a small blog or a major corporate website, here are our best recommendations.Read More. This allows you to select a web hosting solution that meets your technical needs, but may cost significantly more.

How much will it cost? If you’re writing a hobby blog, chances are your budget isn’t going to stretch very far. On the other hand, blogs that are part of a larger business strategy (or that are a business themselves) may be worth spending some money on a premium blogging product.

Who will you reach? Blog posts published on some platforms remain largely within that user base, whereas others are more likely to reach the internet as large. Depending on the purpose of your blog, you may prefer one or the other!

Medium is a platform dedicated to the essence of blogging — writing. Bloggers can post text-heavy posts with a few videos or images on their Medium account (accessible through a unique username-based URL). You can create posts using the web tool or through Medium’s dedicated app (iOS | Android).

Design Tools: The uniform appearance of all Medium posts puts all the emphasis on your writing. You can accompany posts with audio, video, or images, but all posts will look the same and you cannot customize your profile page.

Hosting Options: All profiles are hosted on Medium.

Cost: Completely free.

Reach: Medium has a strong community of writers sharing information on numerous topics. Through hashtags, highlights, and responses you can communicate with other authors and reach new audiences.

Ideal Choice For: If you’re just looking to get your words out on paper, and you don’t care about how they look or about building an independent site, Medium may be the best choice for you. You can join a strong, existing community for free, and will spend virtually no time working on anything other than writing. Those looking for customization, a stand-alone URL, or a multi-purpose blog should look elsewhere.

Tumblr, done right, is a very effective microblogging platform. You can post videos, images, audio clips, text, GIFs, and links to your blog, which can be accessed by other Tumblr users and the Internet at large. You can share unique content or re-blog other users’ content using either the web platform or the Tumblr app (iOS | Android).

Design Tools: You can create custom themes for your Tumblr blog using basic HTML, or choose from a wide selection of free and paid existing blog templates. It’s important to note that while these themes will allow you to customize your blog’s homepage, it will not affect how your posts are seen on other users’ Tumblr feeds.

Hosting Options: Blogs are automatically hosted on Tumblr, but you can choose to use an external URL for your blog from a different host.

Reach: If you get in with the right community, Tumblr can have an incredible reach. On the other hand, it’s also easy for your blog to fade into obscurity if your blog’s content doesn’t mesh well with Tumblr’s culture. Hashtags and cross-promotion on other forms of social media are key for attracting followers. Unfortunately, Tumblr’s default analytics are significantly lacking compared to other platforms – you may need to link Google AnalyticsMonitor Google Analytics From Your iPhone & iPad: 7 Top AppsMonitor Google Analytics From Your iPhone & iPad: 7 Top AppsDisplay your Google Analytics data in efficient, functional, and visually appealing ways wherever you are, on your iPhone or iPad.Read More into your blog’s theme using some HTML coding.

Ideal Choice For: Casual bloggers who are willing to spend a small amount of time making minor changes to a pre-existing theme and who regularly use mobile devices for posting. As well, bloggers interested in niche topics with an active Tumblr community are likely to find success. Those looking for a platform with significant customizability and analytics should likely choose a different platform.

3. Wix

Okay, so you don’t want to join a new social media platform — you want a stand-alone and customizable blog that’s easy to create (and maybe with some e-commerce compatibility). In this case, Wix may be the perfect fit for you.

Hosting Options: By default, sites are hosted on Wix. But, custom domains are available with a premium plan.

Cost: Free to create. Premium plans begin at $18/month.

Reach: Wix doesn’t have a built-in community, but does have the benefit of being a stand-alone site with good opportunities for content promotion and SEO.

Ideal Choice For: Beginner bloggers who want to focus more on their writing than blog design, but who want some room to grow in the future. More advanced bloggers looking for significant customizability, security, and numerous plug-ins may prefer other options.

Hosting Options: You must find an external host for websites using the Joomla platform.

Cost: While creating your site with Joomla is free for 90 days, the price will go up (sometimes significantly) after this based on your blog’s performance. You also need to pay for the external hosting fees.

Reach: While some Joomla themes are mobile-friendly, this is not true for all of them. The platform has e-commerce support, built-in analytics, and SEO plug-ins.

Ideal Choice For: If your blog is part of a larger website or business, upgrading to a full content management system like Joomla may make sense. The platform is secure, with significant customer support and room to grow your blog in any direction. However, the cost and learning curve may make it less than ideal for beginner bloggers.

Ghost is an open-source platform focused on providing blogging functionality with a simple and intuitive interface. It’s ideal for those who value beautiful content but who aren’t quite ready for the intensity of full content management systems.

Design Tools: Ghost features a live preview tool, which allows you to immediately notice any spelling or coding errors. Ghost users have access to over 100 design templates and HTML customization.

Reach: Ghost has SEO optimization tools, as well as built-in analytics and ad integration tools.

Ideal Choice For: Bloggers with some experience who want more design freedom than a free platform, but who also value ease-of-use. Ghost is not ideal for individuals who require e-commerce functionality or who rely heavily on plug-ins.

Which Blogging Service Is For You?

Have you decided to move away from WordPress and Blogger? One of these five sites may be exactly what you are looking for. If you’re still not sure, you may want to consider other blogging sites like Weebly, TypePad, Drupal, or Squarespace. There isn’t a single right choice. Depending on what your blog is about7 Types Of Blogs You Can Write [Opinion]7 Types Of Blogs You Can Write [Opinion]When you set out to write your personal blog, you'll realize that there are a variety of different writer's hats that you can wear. You may want to make a personal blog with your thoughts...Read More, and what kind of blogger you are, you’ll need to do some research before picking the platform that’s best for you!

Why are you changing your blogging platform? And, which platform are you moving to? Let us know in the comments below!

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May 31, 2018 at 11:10 am

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Briallyn is an occupational therapist working with clients to integrate technology into their everyday lives to assist with physical and psychological conditions. After work? She's probably procrastinating on social media or troubleshooting her family's computer problems.